The New York State Legislature is now in recess, although the Legislature can be called back into special session at the behest of the Speaker of the Assembly or Governor Pataki. The recess signals the effective end to the proposed ear cropping/tail docking ban bill, A. 11242. Dog owners in New York and across the country are to be congratulated on their efforts to convince the legislature of the massive opposition to this bill. Following introduction of A. 11242, the bill was referred to the Agriculture Committee but was never scheduled for a hearing. The lack of action on this bill by the Agriculture Committee is an acknowledgement of the impact of the concerted efforts of the dog community in opposing this legislation.

The 2007-2008 session of the New York Legislature will convene in January 2007, and the likelihood exists that some form of crop-and-dock-ban bill could be introduced. It is imperative that New York dog fanciers utilize the recess period to contact their Assembly members to establish relationships with the legislators and encourage opposition to any crop/dock ban bill. Education of legislators is crucial to defeating repressive canine legislation.

The 2006 legislative recess does not signal the end of the fight over initiatives to ban cropping and docking. The purebred dog community must be vigilant and prepared for the next onslaught of negative canine legislation impacting the right to own and breed purebred dogs. The AKC Canine Legislation department will continue to monitor legislative actions in New York and around the country and will alert the fancy upon the introduction of threatening legislation.